But the Children Survived (6 page)

Gerald had been hired as a research assistant when he graduated from Monmouth University.  He had developed an interest in animal sciences while working for Wilmer and March Pharmaceuticals. 

Gerald studied for his veterinary degree nights and worked days.  He envisioned himself a warrior of science, eschewing sleep, driving himself to work harder and longer than anyone else in the lab.  When he got his second degree, he approached his supervisor about consideration for a promotion.  When a position opened up in the animal labs, Gerald received his promotion. 

While working in the animal labs, Gerald established himself as an arrogant taskmaster, alienating his fellow researchers, and causing general disharmony within the lab.  No one liked him.  Even the animals seemed to back away when Gerald walked by their cages. 

Gerald ate alone in the cafeteria, stood alone at company parties, and in general had no social interaction with anyone at Wilmer and March.  Gerald Todd was a very lonely man.

One year the company held a party to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the company.  Gerald arrived on time and took up his usual spot by the elevator door.  He knew if things went the way they usually did, after an hour he could board the elevator and go home, having made the requisite appearance.  Then he noticed a woman across the room – a beautiful blond talking animatedly to a man who seemed to hang on her every word.

The woman had a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other.  Gerald screwed up the courage to go over to her.  He awkwardly gained her attention by tapping her shoulder.  She turned and smiled at him. 

Her name was Arlene and she had a small sweet Southern accent.  Gerald was hooked the minute she opened her mouth.  Not having much experience with women, Gerald stammered on about his work with animals and his research in general.  When he noticed that Arlene’s attention was flagging, he offered to take her to his lab.  For reasons he couldn’t fathom, she agreed to go with him, but first she would need a refill.

When Arlene, saw Gerald’s lab she assumed he was the supervisor.  She did the math in her head and decided he might be worth her time.  He was cute in an ordinary way, and he obviously had a little money because he wore good shoes.  Arlene flirted a little with Gerald.  She could see him blush, which spurred her on.  She touched his arm and she felt him shudder. 

Arlene knew the effect she had on men, and she used it to her advantage regularly, but this guy was different.  He was no kid, but he seemed totally inexperienced with women.  She took Gerald’s hands and placed them on her waist.  She then put her arms around his neck and drew him to her.  She kissed him lightly at first, then harder.  Gerald wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. 

After a few minutes, Arlene pulled away and asked Gerald for a pen and his business card.  She wrote her phone number on the back and left Gerald standing in the lab.  He was hooked, and she knew it.  In time he would call and she would answer.

Gerald had purchased a home in Oldsmar, Florida.  The house was a one-story stucco ranch with a bedroom on each side of the house and two full bathrooms.  It had a living room in the front and a kitchen in the back.  Gerald lived a frugal life.  His shoes and one good suit were his only indulgences.  As such, he had made the final payment on his mortgage just before he met Arlene. 

Gerald felt he was financially secure enough to marry.  That, coupled with his feelings for Arlene sent him to the jeweler’s the following day.  It was the most impulsive thing he’d ever done, but he really liked Arlene and even though he had only known her for two months, he wanted to marry her.  He wanted her to belong to him.  He wanted someone for himself so that he wouldn’t be alone anymore.

Gerald brought Arlene to his house a week later.  He was ready to make a commitment.  He’d arranged for dinner at Arlene’s favorite restaurant.  When he brought out the ring, Arlene feigned surprise and said yes.  She hugged him close and played her part well.  She drank a bit more than she usually did in front of Gerald, but this was a celebration, after all.

Arlene was a bank manager.  She specialized in schmoozing customers over three-martini lunches.  She convinced Gerald that she could handle their finances.  Gerald had no reason to distrust her. 

At first Gerald didn’t check the bank statements.  He took an allowance with each paycheck as he always had and believed that Arlene was paying the bills.  With their combined incomes, they should have a nice nest egg put aside within a couple of years. 

Gerald had been working for Wilmer and March for fifteen years.  His last promotion was ten years before.  He enjoyed his life and his position.  No one was breathing down his neck or pushing him to produce. But Arlene kept “encouraging” him to ask for a raise, but Gerald knew that he hadn’t produced anything relevant since he’d taken over the animal sciences lab and he didn’t feel it would be prudent to ask for more money right now.  When he mentioned this to Arlene, she would look away and head for the kitchen.  He could hear the refrigerator door open and wine pouring into a glass. 

On a Wednesday afternoon, Gerald knocked on his supervisor’s door.  He had finally given in to Arlene and was going to ask for a raise, if for no other reason than his 15 years of dedicated service.  His boss Jake Rawlings, told him to come in.  He was a short, angry looking man with bushy eyebrows and a five o’clock shadow. 

Jake was sitting at his desk, looking at his computer.  He spoke with a heavy North Jersey accent and liked to carry around little bottles of rum.  He motioned for Gerald to sit.

Jake asked Gerald what he could do for him and Gerald said he would like a raise.  He told Jake he’d been there for 15 years, how he always came in under budget, how clean his lab was, how well cared for his animals were.  Jake studied Gerald for a moment before speaking. 

He told Gerald that he was aware of Gerald’s dedicated service.  He had recently been going over Gerald’s files.  Jake told Gerald that his file had been pulled because they were looking to downsize the department and since Gerald hadn’t produced one damn thing in the last 10 years, he was being considered for termination.  The only thing that kept him on was his length of service. 

Jake went on to say that they had wanted to give him a large severance pay and find a replacement willing to take Gerald’s current salary, but it was proving problematic.  It seemed the young people coming out of college expected quite a bit more than his current $80,000 salary.  Young vets with college loans were looking to start at at least 100K.  Jake suggested that Gerald go back to his lab and think over his request.  Jake even suggested he take the afternoon off.

  Gerald listened to Jake’s suggestion and left the building.  He went to Shorty's, a local tavern in his neighborhood, and drank five vodka martinis.  Gerald wasn’t used to drinking and didn’t realize just how far along he was.  All he wanted was to go home and be with Arlene, who should be home from work by now.  He got up from the bar and took his keys out of his pocket. 

Gerald dropped his keys twice while walking towards the door.  The girl at the door asked if he wanted her to call a cab for him.  Gerald politely declined.  He got into his car and started the engine. 

As he drove, his car seemed to be going to the left all the time.  He would jerk the steering wheel to right it.  About a mile from Shorty's, Gerald saw the cruiser lights in his rearview mirror.  Gerald pulled to the right and stopped the car.  

The officer came alongside and asked him for his license and insurance.  He asked Gerald to get out of the car and to walk a straight line.  The cop cuffed Gerald and booked him into the Hillsborough County Jail.

Gerald called Arlene to pick him up and he used his triple A card to post his $250 bail.  Arlene sounded annoyed but she met him at the jail door and took him home.  When they got into the house, Gerald noticed dishes in the sink and the house in disarray. 

He asked Arlene what had happened and she told him she’d been off that day and hadn’t had a chance to clean up before he got home.  The booze was wearing off, and Gerald was feeling tired.  It was just after two in the morning.  He said they would discuss it in the morning.

Gerald woke up the next day with a splitting headache.  He wanted to call out of work, but after yesterday he didn’t dare.  Arlene was still in bed. 

He looked at the clock.  It was well past 7:30.  Gerald was usually in the lab by this time, so he didn’t know when Arlene usually left the house.  He assumed she had to be at work by 8 a.m.  He shook her to wake her, and she pushed his hand away.  He yelled her name and she told him to shut up.  Gerald didn’t know what to do.  Arlene had never been this way before. 

Finally, Gerald got out of bed.  He had to steady himself from the throbbing in his head.  He walked over to Arlene’s side of the bed, shook her, and lifted her up into a sitting position.  Arlene balled up her fist and punched Gerald in the eye. 

Gerald was so shocked that he fell back into the closet and to the floor.  His eye hurt and he couldn't open it.  She really landed that punch.  With his good eye, he looked up at Arlene.  She was smiling and started to laugh. 

“That’s what you get for waking me up!”  She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. 

Gerald sat on the floor for a long time.  He had dozed off for a few minutes.  He hadn’t seen Arlene come back from the bathroom.  Suddenly, he heard pounding on the front door and vaguely wondered who could be there at this hour.  He thought it might be the mailman with a package.  He heard Arlene open the door and say that Gerald was in the bedroom. 

When he opened his eyes, Gerald saw two police officers standing over him.  They asked him to get up and to explain the slowly swelling eye.  He said his wife had punched him when he tried to wake her for work.  One of the officers went to talk to Arlene. 

The officers interviewed Gerald and Arlene for an hour and it was determined that Gerald had attacked his wife in a fit of rage.  They concluded that he had attempted to drag her out of bed with the intention of raping her. 

Gerald denied the allegations vehemently while one of the cops put Gerald's hands behind his back and cuffed him.  The two officers helped Gerald put on his pants.  They had to drag him out of the house and put him into the cruiser.  As they passed Arlene, he could see tears on her cheeks and a cigarette in her hand.  She also had a black eye.

While Gerald sat in jail, he tried to think of how Arlene had gotten a black eye.  She had to have had it last night.  It took a while for an eye to get that dark, at least hours.  Had he hit her last night? 

He was beginning to doubt his sanity.  Twice in as many days he’d found himself behind bars.  Gerald Todd had never gotten so much as a parking ticket.  Now he had a DUI, a Domestic Battery, and an Attempted Rape charge.  Gerald Todd was still a very lonely man. 

 After he was booked, Gerald had been given one free call.  His bail totaled $26,000 and his triple A wouldn't cover that.  He asked someone for the name of a bondsman and dialed the number. 

The woman who answered the phone asked Gerald if he had a family member or friend who could help him arrange bail.  Gerald said no, and the sound of that no shook him to his core.  She said the next best thing would be to get an attorney.  She offered him the names of three attorneys, but she said that Neil Cramer handled their legal needs.

Gerald dialed Neil’s number and talked to his legal assistant.  She took his name and date of birth, and told him to call back in ten minutes.  When Gerald called again, Neil answered the phone.  He asked Gerald if he could afford to post bail if Neil could arrange it.  Gerald said yes, he had the money, but that Neil would have to talk to Arlene.  Neil told Gerald not to be surprised if Arlene was uncooperative, but that he would do what he could to help Gerald. 

Neil called Arlene and she answered the phone.  It was obvious to Neil that she was either drunk or high.  When he asked about the money, Arlene paused before answering.  She said there was no money.   She told Neil that she had been fired the month before and hadn’t told Gerald.  She then told Neil that she had been using the money in their joint account to drink at Shorty's and score Xanax from her dealer. 

Then, since Neil seemed to really be listening to her, she told him that she had been hit in the eye by a guy she picked up and brought home the day before Gerald’s DUI arrest.  She had covered the reddened eye with makeup before she picked Gerald up at the jail.  When he woke her the next morning, she was so annoyed she decided to call the cops on Gerald.  The eye had turned a nice black and blue by then.

Neil asked if she was willing to sign a request not to prosecute and Arlene said yes.  Neil drove to Gerald’s house and had Arlene sign the paper.  He then drove over to the courthouse in time for Gerald’s advisory hearing.  Neil immediately asked Gerald who owned their home.

By some miracle or act of God, Gerald had failed to put Arlene on the deed to his house.  Therefore, Neil could use Gerald’s home to secure his bail.  Neil was also able to get Gerald’s bail reduced to $6,000.  For another $15,000, Neil would handle all Gerald’s cases, and if necessary, his divorce.

 Over the next month, while Gerald slept on a couch in Neil’s office because he had to stay away from the “victim,” and he was broke.  Neil haggled with the State Attorney’s Office and it was agreed that since there was no evidence of attempted rape, the State would drop that charge if Gerald agreed to plead guilty to the battery.  Neil told Gerald it was a good deal because the battery was only a misdemeanor and that Gerald could still work as a vet.  Neil also suggested he have Arlene removed from his house ASAP. 

Within the next two months, Gerald was fired from his job for having a DUI, had his wife evicted from their home, and divorced her.  Gerald also found out about Arlene’s extracurricular activities, and the fact that she’d spent all his money on drugs and alcohol. 

Neil Cramer handled his divorce from Arlene.  Since they’d only been married a few months, the Judge denied Arlene's claim on Gerald's house.